Untitled

Otago Witness, Issue 2810, 22 January 1908, Page 17

DASH -FOR? I/IBERTY. Terry -ffcgain succeeded in making "lus escape.-,jiom' Mental Hosjgtai on afternoon, but^jvas^^paugbt he habV been afciliberty ''ffiSfl^y 10 ?^' -Jollowingi oommt^icatidl^^oml.-.J^ .m Trnl>y King^-medica.r super in%6de^t, gKj -^eacliff^'e^inJVrth'^manner of j Terr y^. ; |^cape^iad-Afi&/d^^« s *onie extenf^withj Line nia"^^^OTifel*'icpff<fition_:-- ." £''"-%%• s '-^6lo^^ 610^- this ' " aftei:: '•■nQpn Lio^^esrJ?jaga.iptnanaged to effect "n*is escape 'rljoni^the^ two attendants to ' w£ose ca^-"le ;? !,'mus'\'Mitrusted at- Seieliff Cental I^ispxs?7¥, ! s&- "was immedTately J pursued who caw him 'Sakin'g for "th^ bush, fnd foUp^ed/him: .^ ' w&il ' ;^he Mwas :. secured, some hours Vitcterj' close to,--* clearing, about^a quarterfrpmAj^nor^ iiptindary of the. '^. «t -- .-ss.w^S** ■ r &"* f^r?±-' ■ "■> '■"-■ ■''" '■ "• 7 "■.-' " ' w * r "-"-' % '.Z.c Terry was engaged in painting at Can easel, on the stage of' the recreation Jpiall at the time of his«eßcapS.b^hl\two in charge were' men of expedience, the senior having . beefcgtrained,f>t i t[orafageiae>:A ( yyfum, "Edlhbu*gfi,*Tinder Dr louston, pripj- tof hie , entering tiie;,sei^e-. Wtir^y.J»-vc^eele|»w^*eß^ the' parT'of fbTe men in" chargeT^hio; in spite of daily warnings, -allowed ,tbe patient ( . jms ,of-{^bbeir^.6Jgi^% c jmderi ..l^ie-'iifiSpression •,-.' .!. S*" i-jfirJßt" 1 "fS -"' -T~ ' ''■-' ' '"' - 1 I- -'■'"' j , The") patie^nfr secured apiece of rope used -for scene-shifting, the .sash -of a, Window) leC«liim>elf ndowtf of the *ay jfunpea' tHe rest:/ ""/ " ' ' . :Only last .Sunday I commenced a -./letter-; "to" lie- central "authority pointing' put -that •owin^g" to i;h'e 'lncreasing determination to elcape 'and .pfher" circumstances Mr Terry „would Jiave Ijo beiransferredrto.some institution-" 1 affording ..greater structural iaeih-iles'-'*for r safeguaiding ? him* Gurksusiy enough, the senior Attendant; by -whom he •was allowed 'to "escape to-day then said : •'There . is^-nor risk of Mr; Terry ■ gettiag ■away •"from.. r Seacliff so'long,-%Js the«attendants r in -charge do their duty and teep "jKim""in-.«i&bt." IC . ,„, ... t ■">ilfc) appeal's, to^m' desirable- to'fpreyent farther public misfibnceptifita rega'rding-^the patientin questionN He is neither a tiero .'nor a, criminal, but .un^ortunatJDly he is, ijuid has. .beenTtbroiigii<?jit,' , upquestio"nal)ly - ' insane and irresponsible. "After, ',Mr Terry's " ; Teoent escape -I wrote ■pointing- out that cer- ' tain -alarmist^ statements then' in circulation suggesting danger tp lone .women and • chOdreji" were •qßithouf, fo.undfftion. but I 4id not.. .wish to convey the idea- that he was sane or "responsible. It was obvious thatf Mr " Terry was 1 - insane; 'bjrirthe -way - tb^'ihake film actively; dangerous was to -let him see the announcements in 'the newspapers that hie fellow-beings regarded him.. and- expected, ,iim -to. prove himself, a. ' blpodthirsty,; criminaL r^-Hei-is'^iot; a-tcrrmi-i^nal-'atid- not ■ bloodthirsty ; but nothing %otild'be'- allowed to' sfend the way r f of %i 3 effecting ,wnai jbe *b|elievjS3jto be'n.ecee■ary for die safvatipnjjf^ .hfe "race. The treatment accorded to_.Mr Terry iy'seMers-i^-.Centfal-.Ota'gb was'-not merely kindly and humane, "but was the only saffe "»nd^-Bensible'wa.y ; to # ;deal with a man of ljis temperament and tendencies.'- How=OTer," .Terry, himself on being replaced n it 7 Seagliff, Jaefc, nippth-s-was .indignant-, that j i the •authorities' had' nbt sent him ~td gaol, %>eee,use he. resented being" in. an- institurtion'wfcfch imDlied insanity, and irrespon'.iibilfty. ,'He ( 'said.^he did Zppol -want oo'm<ort, but justice.' He continues to insist that he would be" happier in prison, and 'he becomes- daily more and more resentInl and bitter at 'being kept- -here. Under these circumstances *I am satisfied that the best, thing for -himself and ( for. '"'wetyon'e^'boncerfled is to^ lefhim" have l ,h,is ", own 'way ' in, the ■meantime; -'buit -whether Be remains -here or is sent elsewhere he will not be allowed an opportunity jbf •ecaping again. ' ' ' - J '^ " ■'" : v .

A GRIEVANCE AND, A '^LtiSION. This extraordinary man, who, by reason of the startling originality of his line ' ojF conduct both prior and -subsequent to Ms arrest on the charge of wilful murder, has made for himself a halo of notoriety, has even invested xhe sadly somnolent place pf^ihis captivity - with"-, a strong eavoar of ■^inba^Adramafcic interest. :_ A^T. present for purpdsies th£ nanie.pt the 'little' 'tsea®^? railway station", might as well be I erased, and thati q? this- impetuous, but; : w^6fprtunate,. person^ubstituted. For •" Searf ciiffi" J 'the iravelier,^- looking up from the : •Accoiß(it,pf the capti-vte's-lafesi exploit, reads " "Lionel Terry." lis'-Seacliff Lionel Terry is tlhe local topic, of the dajr, having- dis-' placed the weather as a. «— conversational ,«^ijsby-. A little' knot of- residents -on Hs& ,4^BiEftirm __ on tfie_ 15th were . .heard -remarking 'to one another : . " Terry, of |eoux6e,.-has escaped- again. No wonder the by the express are staring so." -• , .-.".A TROUBLESOME INMATE. p'^From 'inquiries - prosecuted round and ! about -.SleaclifF -yesterday "it would appear,' however, that Mr Terry gives a great deal v of trouble to both hospital authorities and <the'» -attendants. The fact that .he has s particular antipathy to rice, and will only 3partajfee "of food grown or produced in !>few Zealand is common- knowledge,-, and only efu^ ll ~*°~'feypn?;wyfr fiirough rare s - I ** refractory " "ward occasioned some e4tti&*3a7p'.rise-in SeacfifT. "Up' to'the 14th he took his meals in the library with r eight, other gentlemen, > -but *4 a separate table, an attendant standing "by., his side. i 'A&jhs Jias two 6peciaf men constantly' in attendance \by da^ 5 and one outside his locked door all night, Lionel Terry cant iiot^osi* the country much less than £400 a year. _ j and his two attendants had, a yard '•alt^'to themselves. Hatless, and clad in 'Slue fihirt and flannel .trousers, Terry used ,to run round and round the palisade as though training ior & race, and his keepers perforce had to do likewise. Local gossips declare thatrTerry does this to keep himself in training for his escape, but they seem to overlook 4;he obvious iact that by so doing he is also training his attendants for ' his capture. Mf Terry is punctilious in matters, of honour, and his attendants .know that if be passed his word >not to attempt to •escajpe their main responsibility would be removed ; but instead of so doing.- their charge seems to have pretty clearly inti"mated that he will leave no stone unturned .to regain bjs freedom. Therefore, as he is a man of resource -and daring, Lionel Terry imposes a responsibility upon those • concerned which is, to say the least of it, - burdensome. Not only this, but each time ( Terry gets away, for an obvious reason, the Mental Hospital loses the services of two perhaps -valuable attendants. 1 THE ESCAPE. ] .A.6 Dr Truby King, medical superintendent of the Seaeliff Hospital, informed the public, through the columns of the Times on the 15th, Lionel Terry effected his escape on Tuesday afternoon from the 'window of the recreation hall by means of a rope. Mr Terry,"- jwith Attendants Turner and . Third, .'tv&s '■ painting among the scenery j canvases used for the stage. Tbe window , being narrow, and directly above the main entrance, and the room being on the third storey 1 ," hk attendants deemed escape' impossible,* and were in no way concerned when . Tei*y- "passed behind a "scene" and appa- " rently remained there. Judging by the : 'lepgth pf the rope used, Terry must have .had a, drop, on to the /gravel of at least :15ft.*-.H&- then ran through the gardens, 'and < np hill past the cow -byres, to a patch of bush. An^^attendant with a party cutting .thistles caught sight of the fugitive, but" being unable to leave his charge had to march them back to the main building before reporting the matter. Someone immediately Tushed up to the recreation hall ' saymg'Hhat Terry had gone* "No "feSr/*" replied one of the two attendants; "he's paiiiting behind that scene." Then another came up to announce that he had . seen Ifetry-entering the bush. A rush was "inade'-'for 7r tbe canvas barrier, .and they ;lound; lound "the open window and the rope-

ci ~s~H^j£jTHE CAPTUREi;|^|^j4-;« Sj p^^J&^^rations for recapture with the greatest despatch. . - -were "sent out ' in e^ery likely *"directioj?j: j <Tfce- police were informed by telephone, J and soon constables from neighbouring stations were converging towards Se&clifF. Terry on entering the patch, bush- might cover to ( outer ,edgq~i' ?of. 'the _«eruß, and- -tiiis^ proved his uhdoi!£gv' . :jAT^at|endaaV--m>~vjiiiiting ; - a fence 5 -aj|gKted|^. another^a^^eaa^i;.' Jfo'tn^the.cpthep^side^rerry ■vrasi'cattglitrrl. fit to W^^.hl^i-5| ."ca^Ll|for£e^-jl!|wTV'beirt^ ipowerful/man* 1 5n^^ ' /Jspfendid fettle, Jbbuld^.pTpJja'bly have^. made." 1 ,! . .-gp^^b^-'escajpejg^u^/S.^^ierely „^^<ait^^i| §^find*'^£o%^^cp^ffiS^*fi^D^nly refaSetl ?io''i :^lmo\^y'W^jar'h^o^^t(^%^ndea.vGvaeid. ho \ gjtaTakhish; -h»V3ashSdf>t*\yiolently-, wf(k. bifi ffrisss -j?oiajfr: al^nd)«)flte^|ie|ured his^r^fes^ and ankles -with" their pocSet handker<fel^fej J' ajM3, u -.casripd v bim,=i e-werjf inofc of the^ way^'J - ba^to th.c, JbogpitaL ' 2 "^ \fj \J -„ -J DEK^SSED^ASIB -BJSi&PPOIN?rEb. ; - ]• It is said that Terry is greatly disap- j % pointed *by his failur.'e, arid was ■ much ' up6<?;t ' bSiii^'Ujroug^'^'ack^to hi^,43«o-m. \tp^A . ilipeems.sigmfeoant Itnai |oS|., a<*eriiijaiite shoftld 1' '' foe, off to watch outside his dcor ' throughout _ the night. , There is, little^' ■*WiiS«^o?^lfe'lfß^6blm^?%aTria; "=aricl only light is' admitted through the fanlight., .Some of jfcheste w3»o-saTC^iotiel T^rry-^ „*&'■■&& 15tfaB<Slnsi?.o a tei"-re3|io'riea p /t"& t "4aKre v / •' &&tit*B& h^lSbkid l -itaggai>a : aiSf" terribly | depressed. ' -i^.n imhappy- rumour „ is abroad ,> to the -effe^jti;. thai his; constiiuSon." is break- •• ing-, vp 1 under the/«train that 'he has 'put- 1 upon it. i .- if , terry'jS^rievance,-, "';■ ( ,j It will be remembered that on the last i occasion on which Terry escaped from Sea- j cliff he hinged , that- he would be- yready j to return , after a,! forjtnighlfsrja.bsence. : -The, explanation "of 7 this Js now, apparent;.- It would appear that Terry .was under the ; delusion that after being absent from an, Asylum^for o.ver If days he would, have;. to be ■ f^Texainined .for. -symptoms of insanity^ before . 'ieing^ readmitted, , v aad ,- that- Lthis. : eiGaminatfon. . would grve him the long- ' wished-for opportunity of bringing his case < once ,more "prominently before his country- ■ men. H?w -gaght,^ or .rather^how wrong, be Was'^ill be.dis'c^v^reS.ipwer.down in am: intexvie* aeid'' on' the "subject", with - Dr.' Truby Kiag. Carefui' 'analysis of Terry's conduct, letters, and utterances gives an impression that a. good^deaL of ©gol^ism ,is 'mingled, with .tfig v aj}pged se'ei&s to have bu^one^.fC'Jept,, in vjew.and to v be '-^ ready ip,, sacrifice everything aijd. everybody ' io ' iis "'attainment." There seems , to be no 1 -reasonable _doubt whatever that he is " insane, and ..f he fact that , even -his - best _, friends ■ regard him^tberefore, as '.a,; well-ineaiaing but irresponsible person seems to be'iilling_ jiis mmd.with/bitterness. He t evidently .wishes, to bea- .martyr,, and i&e ' ebun'try ,treatii)g .him "as a lunatic.^ ■ t LENIENT TREATMENT. .'j Some vpeopl'e are'apt to- ihajce light v <and/ frivolous reni'ajks Anent tjig^niultinlieitjy- of-e^its'-jin v ,'Whieb,'^b.e Ba;dis. Mental; Hospital ' seems to abound, and to hijnit that Seacliff, in addition to its other attraetipns. , hasthe^ ■ recommendation -.^pl A being ',' an , , excejle^it* : place 'to escape 'from"." It~ would b<^vidle, v -J" however, .to suppose thak^dy} he: wi^h '"' Dr T^vtby King could, teep Terry in bounds. 'j' He could' 'put him' in ' certain - places from j' "which escape would be impossible; but the _ procedure, at presenj;, is evidently one of ' leniency gentle ' persuasion^ -and , not; of J brute force.- Terry has, beeA very ■w.elrj treated, from al} accounts, and eyerythirig possible seems tp have baen done ,to •jmak.o'j. his lot as easy as possiblel As sj^tejd , above, the presence of such a man at Sea- } cliff (where an .inmate^ is practically at large,, yet, nojt to ,T>e .allpyted -to' ,esciape)T must' be a so.prce of "considjeraHle anxiety.', to all concerned. The burden of the woxry , a.nd responsibility must necessarily ,rest '' on the shoulders of the medical superintendent. ' and such an .anomaly . twould appear ,to. ' be-^ grossly unfair . to .Dr - Truby b King, " who, with such a large establishment under hi^ control, might be expected tp have quite enough on his ; hands withou| Lionel, Tjjrjy. ';„ v „ > . . , ■ ( . : , Though,, Terry^. is jcesDeeted^xipparently, by' the "attendants as. a" "gentleman, .an athlete," and a scholar, there ia every reason to sup'ppse J Jba{i. they will be, > heas!ily, !l glad *', to.^|. fMlas't! tpi.hhfLj ' Ijt m^^ppint^ „ ouf Mi^tt 'eyen'^jf Tftrry^ was, again jpenfe ,tb , a prjsdn/.'te ■' wpjdcT'hot' be\a,f«l6n. Any Dlace, a" gaol, inoludedj may under such

.^r#x|m^tan"d£&<|be appointed an 'asylum ;v; v and gentleman, instead of being 'to\ha§ cause jvould still bo treated •as?- one not responsible ior' his actions. DU TBXJBY KING INTERVIEWED. " Though ac usual -extremely busy, Dr I Truby King, the medical superintendentl of the Seaeuff Mental Asylum, courteously i granted an interview to a representative of the Daily Times on the 15th. He had little to add to the informative, , narrative sup-. _ t b.y him . to -the Times the previous (feyf-^l^wJiiie maintaining a very proper ,'a4d';\£Uscfee&'>"reser.ve in regard to certain • jjiatfeertfstff 'jde£arjtnienial moment, replied *teiferour-- repuesSntative's questions as foilo&s".^%£'£.>s- v . .: ' ': 1 n i s general , grievance bn 'account" bf its Asiatics'" to" live, in the country, andi.,^:httsr^6f-hef holds)' ' conniving at -{-what gSjs sfealS^-%^sC}jj3 '' adultery, ; Mr jp.erry?s •^pecdal 'g^eva^ce .at present has reference his, 'beifigise^nt back to Seacliff without ail3r.- v TO^gik^^»mniittal after being absent r'frQrii^fh^yfigfcitutioii for \\ days.. !4! 4 JSe^cqn; ( 'Mild&^fo&libe of. assufanessyfo xfche tooy'-* ■^•fi^a^^^f-Jre ooul<J not be legally returned ?56jiJwF"«asyitim without formal. jjecsDintaitta,|. £nl,^»(3fiM*y eases tof insanity, W* days clear ' original committal, »%ut %his';^k>es'.- not**apply-' ai tb- 'insknß' 'persohs" who have committed a criminal offence, and who are.,-oonfinedj.oit r -tija$ i -«ecounV or rojn othe,r orfier^f the Gcjloni|il Secretly ; <&nd if/^ie with .Which'-ssjjfjfi p^g^n ""is o^fg^d^Ss by.^aeph, "even the Goloiiial Secretary has not the power to order his discharge, the assent of * me - - -With reference -to- I?he- above? -the .OolonialSecretary is empowered to place such, a man as Terry in whatever public institutiori* vfStfK^vSSeotasS^tuv fStf K^vSSeo ta sS^t u aesffiabfe. *in' * the fejbeVesSß, r flJPstf4;foFe s ient to'lfrreon, he hirtiself-' now 'desires,", no doubt the formality of 'declaring* s.ucbj,a domicile an.-f ' a*yiumV ' "wonKl^be " "^und'H^ifi course''* would^certainlyfs'eetri the' ■ most 'suitable* under' the ' circumstances' of the case' At Honie are v special !■ institutions for •cSirnir^.i'lttnatic'g^ a'nS tlie ; nearest appToacK' 'to these is an asylum, witii it« unbarred windows and open-air treatment, but ,the . best- quarters that can; be found" in' tfie ' DVison.\,,, I^,] «eems to us thtttjf Terry desires' to iemain ; hf an' 'asylum, tH&fe ' might be' some ques^- : tion as to his removal. The provision of i -spfeeial quarters at Seacliff oi' elsewiere r \ •might be 'equafly as .good,'' but seeing j detention" in''"^ o^rdiriarv 1 asyJun\ Mi "has^Bow \ becoSrse-'fi' leading- I 'gfievaßcej^ii' is .obvious s that it would be illdgical and absurd to go to further expense and trouble in the ,j matter. "" ' ' ; -.S^AMM^NT\' IBY1 BY ! .PR]MB > 'MINisTER. ' CASE TO BE INQUIRED jDSTQ.-. Aft'lluif '%&&; 'pMm^ally.insane^ ' \ XFkoii 'OcbOwn CHRISTGHUROH, January 16. When . parsing thro.ugh Christchurch this morning the-'Brime-.M-inister Vas 'asked by a Press reporter about ' the 'case of Lionel Terry. , . . t . -, „ , v . In reply, Sir Joseph Ward said that he I had 1 read -Df Truby King's \" statements in regard to ,Terry, but he did not 'kqftw if ■ they had '■ been submftt|«l bo th!e"';sani?t ! er in.on^rge' of I ;asyluni's^TSir , Jfoseptf' 'addedM mat oii; "his return tb'-Welljiigtoii he would 'hive tHe"Nvhole " case specially looked into.', ■As to the proposal that_the Government, •should esteiblish^^in asyliirtt ' fpr insanj? .per- , ( sons r "dr criminal .' y teri^ncle^, fha^^-was. ja ( , H subject 'upon' J 'which was not" pr^p^red /t'o'-make 1 - any "definite" 'sjto'tement. 'j^rma ' 'trftetHai Terry's'.'pas^ was q'uit^ Exceptional, " but' tTiei'6 v ,wkfi no "doubt that there .were. many'other.B iti,ilhe Donpnion jasylums .who be cpneidere'd I . ' i^'-" *, -i This is-- Terry's : fourth- escape from cus.tody.t '.'The previous occasion- on^which he eluded 'the < -vigilance of -his atfendatats'" afc 1 SeaclifE was on- the 21st of November; 'He was retaken on the 12th" 1 of after" •ne had been' wandering about 'Otago"-Oen-* .tral foV three-'weeks.'i'- Previous 1 to'thtt ' he •had- /escaped frofii 'S^iinnyside" Asyl'n'm 'on' • two occasions, 1 and -was- then removed to Seaoliff. < ■ ' ■ Terry is evidently a man 1 difficult' to t ,de-' tam r ./and Nothing "ehbrf 'of the closest 1 surveillance will prevent' a recurrence of *rhat hate happened. * ■ ' ' A li bookk'eeper employed by a large firm at Capetown has sent 'to the leading tradesmen. of the city" a typewritten letter, j .marked ''Private and .^jconfidential," ; in- J riormUig;, ,pf '.h\is carriage, J and - pjrtimating , w that . those Send., him -I most valuable " 'wedding presents- will I receive" the greatest consideration wiien ' orders are. placed by his >firm- . . • „ ,

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